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Bachelor of Arts in Education

Upon completion of the Bachelor of Arts in Education degree students will be eligible for two Massachusetts teacher licenses in elementary education (grades 1-6) and moderate disabilities (grades PK-8).

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The BA in Ed. requires 120 credits of course work and practicum experiences. The degree requires that students complete the course work for both licenses. Throughout the degree, students will have numerous opportunities to apply their learning in local schools. Many courses are field based and students must expect to be traveling to schools on a regular basis.

While in the program, students must take and pass three MTELs (Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure). All tests must be passed prior to beginning the practica in the senior year.

Information in the academic catalog:

In addition, through this degree, students will meet the Massachusetts Subject Matter Knowledge (SMK) and the Professional Standards for Teaching (PSTs) which ensure competency in:

  • Curriculum, Planning and Assessment (in the elementary content areas i.e. math, science, reading, social studies)
  • Teaching All Students
  • Family and Community Engagement
  • Embracing one’s place in a Professional Culture
Students will be required to meet the undergraduate benchmarks set by UMass Lowell. Their high school programs should include the following college preparatory level (or better) courses:
English – 4 courses
Mathematics – 4 courses to include Algebra I and II; Geometry or Trigonometry. Their senior year course load must include a mathematics course.
Sciences – 3 courses with laboratory work.
Social Sciences – 2 courses including US History
Foreign Language – 2 courses in a single language

We seek an average high school GPA of 3.5 or better for each first year class, with no individual with a high school GPA lower than 3.0. SAT scores should be above 1000. Candidates for this degree should be in the top 50% of their graduating class.

In addition to test scores and transcripts, applicants must submit the Common Application and submit a personal essay, one letter of recommendation and an application fee.

International Students
International students who apply to this degree must have excellent TOEFL scores as they will be in classrooms from their first year. Their oral and written communication skills must be exemplary. For freshmen applicants, the University requires a minimum TOEFL score of 550 on the paper version of the test, 213 on the computer-based version and 79-80 on the internet-based version. However, international students must recognize that while the program leads to a teaching credential in Massachusetts, this will not be transferable to their home country and does not provide a work permit for becoming a teacher in Massachusetts. 

Incoming freshmen should visit the Admissions website for more information.
Transfer students should refer to the information on the Transfer website.
In order to teach, you must meet certain technical and legal requirements, including showing that you are a person who has the attributes and behaviors expected of professionals. All candidates for teacher licensure will be required to meet regulations for working in schools, which include, but are not limited to completion of a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check, fingerprinting and a UMass Lowell Code of Conduct check.